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Fire destroys home in Monaghan Township

The cause of the fire on Bishop Road is under investigation, according to a fire official.

By TED CZECH

Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated:
09/10/2013 12:02:17 AM EDT

A home at 88 Bishop Road in Monaghan Township was reduced to rubble after a fire Saturday morning (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS-- TED CZECH)

A Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal is investigating what caused an early Saturday morning fire to ignite and tear through a Monaghan Township home, a fire official said Sunday.

As of late Sunday morning, the cause remained under investigation, said Monaghan Township Volunteer Fire Company Asst. Fire Chief Les Darr.

"There was nothing, as far as I know, suspicious," about the fire, Darr said.

The fire at 88 Bishop Road was initially spotted by members of a Cumberland County medic unit, who saw the plume of smoke from their building, he said.

The medics followed the smoke, found the fire, and called 911. Firefighters arrived about 6:30 a.m., Darr said.

Firefighters attacked the fire from the exterior, once they found the home totally engulfed in flames and realized that part of the roof had collapsed, he said.

In addition, police verified through relatives that the home's occupants were out-of-town and not inside, Darr said. The house belonged to Walter and Barbara Scott, according to Carroll Township Police.

Because of a weight restriction on a bridge on Bishop Road, water had to be trucked to the nearest intersection and then pumped by a hose to the site, Darr said.

Firefighters had the fire under control in about 45 minutes, but stayed there until about noon, checking for hot-spots, he said.

Darr called the home a "total loss,' although he was not sure how much the damage estimate would be.

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